Modern Mining January 2024

There are also signs that many other battery miner als are to be found here in economic quantities, such as lithium. There is another important factor to con sider in the battery mineral ‘revolution’, however, and that is the growing attention to responsible sourcing. “Among the world’s consumers of battery min erals, there is a concern that such commodities be extracted and processed responsibly, and that their provenance be carefully tracked to prove this,” he said. “In Africa, like elsewhere, this puts an onus on the producers, and on governments and other stakeholders. They must all ensure that conducive conditions are created to allow such an ethical sup ply chain to be established and maintained.” He explained, however, that this is not a one-way street. As part of SRK’s commitment to mining in Africa, it is working with an important European initia tive, RE-SOURCE, to find ways to avoid unintended consequences of such responsible sourcing poli cies. If not carefully considered, these efforts could inadvertently disadvantage those constituencies – in Africa and beyond – who they were meant to assist. SRK reflections “Reflecting on SRK’s contribution over the five decades, we are proud of many aspects of our tech nical and strategic input; among these have been those related to ESG,” he said. “While this focus was once limited to mining’s local environmental impacts, it now extends into the global issues related to climate change, and to social issues from artisanal mining and human rights to localised supply chains and responsible sourcing.” As consulting engineers, SRK has walked this journey with its clients for half a century. Much has changed since Oskar Steffen, Andy Robertson and Hendrik Kirsten established their practice in Johannesburg in 1974, offering services in soil and rock mechanics and tailings disposal. Today, SRK’s clients’ requirements have broadened substantially beyond the narrow technical demands of mining operations. The demands of ethical exploration and responsible extraction mean ongoing and systematic engagement with a wide range of stakeholders, for instance – which remains a challenging task. “At SRK, our development has mirrored the evolving demands of the industry – and our suc cess has been built on foresight into how to prepare for such demands,” he said. “In 1995, for instance, we employed our first social and developmental specialist – a move that was championed by SRK’s founders, who could see how important this facet was becoming. It is now almost 30 years later, and the industry has come a long way in terms of ESG practice, but we still have much to learn.” Managing future risks Van Zyl’s view is that mining, as a pioneer industry in Africa, has shown it has much to offer as a catalyst for

SRK is embracing positive disruption and responsible sourcing for a sustainable future amidst the changing landscape of the mining industry in Africa.

economic growth. “Ensuring the benefits of mining are optimised in host countries and local communi ties is another vital theme at successive Indabas, and has increasingly occupied our minds at SRK. “While we work with clients on stakeholder engagement and related issues, we also put Africa’s priorities into practice,” he said. “Our offices around Africa – including Ghana and the Democratic Republic of Congo – are staffed and owned by local professionals, and we invest substantially in knowl edge sharing across our global network to promote professional development.” He said that this year’s Indaba comes at a time when commodity prices have tempered and min ing costs are rising, while expectations among host countries and communities are high. The sector’s trajectory into the future, he emphasised, needs to manage the risks of today while embracing posi tive disruption and continuing to build sustainable responses to the demands and obligations of tomorrow. 

SRK’s reflections over five decades include a commitment to ESG practices, addressing global issues from climate change to responsible sourcing in the mining industry.

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